Military jets scrambled as plane in Barcelona terror threat – 'Device onboard'

Military jets scrambled as plane in Barcelona terror threat - 'Device onboard' Cops boarded the plane as it landed in Barcelona with 148 passengers and seven crew evacuated after fighter jets were scrambled to escort it following an alert Cops have boarded the Turkish Airlines plane (file photo) ( Image: OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images) Military fighter jets were scrambled to escort a Turkish Airlines plane after reports of a “terrorist threat” when the pilot raised concerns about a possible device onboard. Spanish news outlet El Nacional said the Turkish Airlines flight TK1853 had taken off from Istanbul early this morning. The Airbus A321 aircraft had seven crew and 148 passengers onboard. It landed at Barcelona-El Prat Airport this morning at 11am “with the possibility of an artefact inside”. The Catalan news outlet said the plane had been escorted by military aircraft after “a threat was detected” over the Mediterranean Sea, in Italian territory at 10am. Elements from the Spanish and French armed forces were involved in the incident, which saw the flight land in Barcelona this morning. The plane landed on runway two after circling several times. After touching down the aircraft was “removed to a safe area,” the outlet said. Cops from the Civil Guard then boarded the aircraft as emergency services rushed to the area. "Beyond the fact that the operation is underway, no official source has given details of the evolution of the emergency," El Nacional reported. All luggage is being checked with no explosives discovered as yet, according to reports. So far, the incident has not disrupted normal operations at El Prat Airport, although it has triggered a general alert and activated the crisis committee. Sources familiar with airport security protocols say this is standard procedure and that, based on the information available at this time, it is believed to be a false alarm, El Nacional reports. All passengers have been moved to the contingency room in the airside section of the airport and efforts are being made to notify their families.

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